


Punch

by 1DE3shipper



Series: 100 Writing Prompts [16]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 01:49:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1286674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1DE3shipper/pseuds/1DE3shipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn gets bullied at school until, one day, Liam comes to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Punch

**Author's Note:**

> This is one I maybe _could_ continue if you guys wanted? I'd probably end up changing this section a bit/a lot if I do though. Let me know what you think!

It never ends, does it? Zayn thinks bitterly to himself as he averts his gaze from a group of football boys heading his way. Of course they see him, they always do, always bump him just enough to knock him off balance, or tip over the books balanced in his arms; nothing too much, just enough not to get caught. 

Zayn learned long ago not to show emotion, especially when people try to push him around. He didn't see it making much of a difference, but it made him feel stronger not letting the whole school see him cry as he braces himself on a locker to keep from falling. No, there was time for crying later, when he was in the safety of his own room, curled up in bed at night.

Niall always tells him to push them back, that Zayn is strong enough to do some damage if he wants (which, Zayn believes, is absolutely rediculous; most of those boys are twice his size) but Zayn knows he can never bring himself to fight back. "Be the better person" they always said in elementary school, plus, Zayn doesn't see the benefit in drawing any more attention to himself.

So he just takes it like a man and cries later. It's better that way, he reasons with himself. The jocks get their kicks and he avoids total humiliation. Perfect. Except every day it gets harder for Zayn to keep it together. On multiple occasions recently he's found himself locked in a bathroom stall crying silently to himself. It doesn't always hurt physically (although it often does), but the sheer frustration of the never ending taunts of "what are you looking at, terrorist?" and "you've got some paint on your face" and "don't you ever get tired if being a loser?" brings him dangerously close to breaking. 

It's just like every other day. Some football players bump by him in the way to lunch, knocking his books down and sending him crashing into the lockers. Except this time, he doesn't bother getting up. He just sits there, surrounded by books as other students step over him or turn to watch the commotion. He doesn't meet any eyes and prays that the floor will just swallow him up. Death has never seemed so appealing. 

Then, Zayn hears another crash as someone else is thrown into the lockers, something that has never happened before. When he finally gathers the courage to open his eyes, he's shocked to see a fist connect with the jaw of one of the jocks who had just pushed him. A crowd has gathered now to see who would possibly stand up to the most popular kids in the school.

That somebody, Zayn observes, is none other than Liam Payne, another football player who tends to hang out more with the music kids or nerds that the other athletes but is one of the popular kids nonetheless. 

Once the bullies have been punished according to Liam's standards and the crowd begins to disperse, he turns his attention to Zayn, who is still sitting motionless against the lockers studying his feet again.

"You alright, mate?" Liam asks.

Zayn just shrugs, not trusting his voice. He's crying, he just knows it. Half the school just saw him get pushed to the ground and cry like a baby. He's never been so mortified in his life.

"Look at me," Liam instructs, grabbing Zayn's chin when he doesn't oblige. "You alright? You don't look alright to me."

"'M fine," Zayn mumbles, moving to stand up but he's stopped by Liam's hand on his shoulder. 

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really," Zayn answers statically. "Well, not physically at least."

Liam makes a sympathetic sound and offers a hand to the broken boy sitting on the ground. He leads them to the restroom, which is always empty during lunch hour. 

"I'm fine, y'know," Zayn reminds him. "You don't have to take care of me."

"I know, I want to," is Liam's simple answer.

"Why did you hit him?" Zayn asks, wetting a paper towel to wipe away the tears that had somehow made their way onto his cheeks. "I mean, aren't they sort of your friends?"

Liam snorts. "They're gits. Just 'cause I play footie doesn't make me friends with them y'know. I have enough sense to know the good crowd from the bad."

Liam does seem nicer than the rest if the team, at least from what Zayn has himself seen. He seems to genuinely care about the well-being of a boy with whom he had never had a conversation previously. That has to count for something.

"You wanna go? I mean, there're only about fifteen minutes left in lunch and you probably want to eat something. I know I do."

Zayn isn't actually that hungry, but he doesn't want to keep Liam any longer so he just nods and follows the other boy back the way they came. He goes to his normal seat in the corner of the cafeteria, expecting that to be the end of it. Niall gives him a strange look but doesn't say anything and Zayn is grateful for that. 

He hasn't been there two full minutes when Niall bumps his arm and motions towards a small group heading their way, led by none other than Liam Payne himself.

"Hey Zayn, mind if we sit here?" he asks. Zayn shakes his head and quietly mumbles "no problem" and the three new additions sit down across from Zayn and Niall.

"This is Louis and Harry," Liam introduces. 

"I'm Niall," Niall responds when Zayn doesn't say anything. Zayn really doesn't know what to say. The other four immerse themselves in joking conversation while he stays quiet. He's never been one for big groups and five is pretty big for him. But then Liam nudges their feet together across the table and sends Zayn a wink and a kind smile and suddenly Zayn thinks he might be able to learn to like this group.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to tell me what you think!


End file.
